[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 96 (Wednesday, July 11, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1308]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  HONORING WAYNE SCOTT ON HIS RETIREMENT AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE 
                  TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JIM TURNER

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 11, 2001

  Mr. TURNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute and to express the 
thanks of Texans to our friend Wayne Scott on the occasion of his 
retirement as Executive Director of the Texas Department of Criminal 
Justice. His leadership of the fastest growing agency in the State of 
Texas during years of difficult transitions have earned him the respect 
and admiration of all Texans.
  Wayne began his professional journey in 1972 as a correctional 
officer at the Huntsville unit of the Texas Department of Corrections. 
While working there, Wayne Scott received his Bachelor of Business 
Administration from Sam Houston State University in 1973. Making his 
way into the system, he became warden of the facility in 1984. In the 
following years, Wayne served as regional director, deputy director for 
operations, and institutional division director. In 1996, Wayne Scott 
was promoted to Executive Director of the Texas Department of Criminal 
Justice, the largest agency in the state of Texas. It can be said that 
Wayne began at the bottom of the ladder and climbed to the top through 
a firm commitment to hard work, a willingness to make the tough 
decisions, and a constant pursuit of the highest ethical standards for 
both himself and the department.
  With the responsibility of more than 40,000 employees and more than 
150,000 felony offenders, Wayne Scott has been recognized by his fellow 
criminal justice professionals in the American Correctional 
Association, the Southern States Correctional Association, and the 
Association of State Correctional Administrators as an outstanding 
correctional administrator.
  Under Wayne's leadership, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice 
confinement facilities were accredited by the American Correctional 
Association. The agency also received Awards of Excellence in community 
service for its partnership with Habitat for Humanity, and for the 
nation's largest correctional employee training facility, the Edmundo 
Mireles Criminal Justice Training Academy. While Executive Director, 
Wayne developed the Advisory Council on Ethics in order to aid the 
agency in the awareness of ethical issues and assure the execution of 
ethical behavior.
  Not only has Wayne Scott been a hard working administrator, but he 
has also been a leader in innovations for rehabilitation of prison 
inmates. In 1996, he started the Inner Change Freedom Initiative, which 
was the first faith-based pre-release program in a penal institution in 
the United States. Also, under Scott's leadership, the Texas Department 
of Criminal Justice has worked to modify the agency's mission statement 
to assure justice for victims.
  Wayne Scott has served the State of Texas for more than 28 years in 
the criminal justice field. His leadership in the fastest period of 
growth in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice have made him well-
known in the field of criminal justice not just in Texas, but across 
the country. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice--and indeed, the 
entire state of Texas--has been the beneficiary of his service, 
dedication, and leadership over the last three decades.

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